“Celebrating self-expression” is the ubiquitous concept on which many fashion designers rely today, sometimes just jumping on the “empowering women” bandwagon and banking on the achieved-the-hard-way confidence with which women are embracing their own individual style. Yet Giorgio Armani has to be credited as being one of the first who really understood women’s need for a versatile yet assertive uniform, providing a stylish armor to fight their battles for recognition and social status. He started his company in 1975. Pantsuits have come a long way since then, even if that glass ceiling hasn’t been cracked completely open just yet.
Armani’s style has remained remarkably consistent throughout the years; timeless is an apt concept to describe its essence, passing trends just brushing over its surface without altering its spirit. The Resort collection was just another version of the tune the designer has played for so long, yet it exuded a soft, fresh vibe. A gentle sportswear-infused flair was smoothed by fluid shapes, lightness of volumes and fabrications, and a delicate color palette of dusty pinks, mauves, cerulean blues, and silver-grays. His go-to tailored pantsuit was rendered in a supple, almost ethereal interpretation, but its pragmatic nature was well in evidence, highlighted by a day-to-night attitude that blended formality with ease and comfortable proportions. In the same way, the Armani signature blazer was transformed in a silky ruched jacket-blouse worn with crinkled silk wide-leg trousers, or morphed into a tuxedo shirt-jacket in white charmeuse, elongated at the back and paired with chic black velvet palazzo pants.
The sporty attitude turned polished in a malleable jersey bomber worn over a languid silk charmeuse maxi dress, which could easily transition from a cocktail to a less formal occasion. The collection provided a series of elegant numbers, as in an ankle-grazing chiffon pleated dress in aqua blue, elongated tunic in shimmering gold jacquard, and embroidered pink organza flared-skirt evening dress, all three of which looked both delicate and glamorous.
